A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows. (Ransom Riggs)

A delightful book indeed, with elements of horror and fiction, this novel is definitely a must read for people of all ages. If you think you’re too old for a child fiction novel, recommend it to a teenager with a wild imagination. It may be a children’s novel but its wise beyond its target audience. More than being about deformed orphans at an orphanage…this novel is about accepting each others’ peculiarities and making them a tool against the bad in this world instead of staying the odd one out. (Believe me I know a lot about THAT)

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is one of the best stories that people in growing age should read at least once. For adults, it may sound like a far stretch but its basic audience will definitely be smitten by the thick plot twists, the beautiful examples of a teenagers feel misplaced in this world with a little horror added to it. All parents should recommend this book to their teenagers. And if you are all grown up and haven’t read it (and love reading fiction) give it a try. It might be a bit childish in its language but its worth a read. Thanks for bearing with me.

It is an epistolary novel. Nobody told me that! Wait, when has that ever come up in a conversation anyway?

So, the book started off with one of the characters writing letters to his sister while he's on a sea voyage.

The second thing that I noticed was boy, this guy can talk! So far, his chatter has not diminished my enjoyment of the book.

Mr. Monster has already made his first appearance although we only get to admire him from a distance. Now, I am listening to the good doctor's narrative.

A quote that stuck with me:

(On the subject of friends) "we are unfashioned creatures, but half made up, if one wiser, better, dearer than ourselves -- such a friend ought to be -- do not lend his aid to perfectionate our weak and faulty natures."

Four teenagers born in Mexico and growing up in poverty went up against the best student engineers in the country (that had both great access to education and funds). It's the story of hard beginnings, finding mentors/teachers who are willing and the occasional helping hand along the way. Sometimes these stories don't end well: deaths, deportation, membership in gangs, jail, etc. Luckily that's not the case here.

It was an interesting premise to look at the potential of some of the people who come across the border from Mexico. In light of certain remarks made by certain US Presidential candidates, this was an actually really interesting read to see how these young men had the interest and willpower, but perhaps needed some guidance, opportunity and some help here and there to go up against some of the "best and the brightest" who came from some of the best schools and had the backing of major corporations, etc.

Unfortunately a lot of it is lost. Author Davis is a journalist and as always that style rarely ever works for me. Initially I was drawn into the stories and childhoods of these young men from crossings back and forth across the border, to growing up with little, to struggles with the language barrier, the fear of deportation, distinct possibilities of getting into gangs or drugs, etc. But Davis keeps switching the narrative too many times to too many perspectives when it might have been good to keep just one chapter to introduce the students, one to introduce the teachers/mentors and go from there. The book really is quite interesting in parts but tends to wax and wane quite a bit. It's really a pity because it is a great story that could easily be hammered into a 2, 2.5 hour movie that could even be Oscar-bait if done right and marketed well.

Still, it was an interesting read. I certainly don't regret it and think it's pretty relevant in light of the current discussion of immigration. Not to mention education, poverty and many of the other secondary and tertiary issues that go along with these larger ones.

That said, I'd borrow it from the library unless you have a special interest in the above or robotics.

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